Traditional toy train tracks and roadway tracks (hereinafter known as “toy tracks”) have been around for years and it is known that it takes children great planning, patience and time to set up a workable toy track layout. At first, children planned and built toy track layouts that were simply a flat design. This type of toy track layout eventually became completely impractical as children became more interested in designing more complex toy track layouts. The toy track layouts comprised of using multilevel tracks with slight elevation but were very unstable and virtually unusable, as the toy track layouts would collapse where the toy track pieces connected.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,145 ('145) issued to Zelle et al., addressed the problem of maintaining railroad track connectability by disclosing a track connector to secure the interlocking track connection of two train tracks of a wooden train set and effectively resist loosening and disconnecting under normal playing conditions. However, the '145 patent is limited to only a connection securing device, as the '145 patent does not allow children to adapt the toy tracks to be used in conjunction with toy pegged construction bricks and blocks (hereinafter known as “building blocks”). A simple connection-securing device limits the creativity and three-dimensional potential of the two toy systems when played with together. In addition, there is no way to attach useful, functional and educational accessories such as rails, toy trees or lights to the toy tracks. Another deficiency of a track connector without an adjustable tension spring is that various manufacturers produce different sized tracks, which can only be secured with a connection-securing device that is specifically sized to accommodate each size of track due to the dimensional variations of the track.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.